Silo runway



Sept. 26, 1933. F PARDEE 1,928,459

SILO RUNWAY Filed Nov. 2, 1932 INVENTOR 5 76 l We' /v /D /4 WT? l wil/Agg, L

ATTORNEY f7) //V Patented Sept. 2c, i933 y I snLoaUNvvav A lFranky iardee,` Hazleton, Pa., assignor to A lintliracite Separator Company, Hazleton, Pa.,

a corporation of Pennsylvania a Application November 2, 1932. Serial No. 640,851

,y i t claims. (ci. issiai This invention aims to provide structuralL features of improvement vin `silos adapted for the storage of y coal or similar lump material. A particularfeature of the invention relates -tol the provision of a, spiral runwaypreierably made rof `a series ofseparatesections secured directly to and supportedsolely by the wall of the silo.

The above and other characteristic features of` the invention will be fully apparent from the following specication when read in connection with the accompanying drawing. n

Referring in detail vto the drawingz-'A Fig.; is a verticallongitudinal section of a silo embodying the invention.

. Fig. 2k is a horizontal section on line 2-2` of Fig.v 1. y

Fig. 3 is an enlarged'detailedy section on line 3-3 of Fig.2.

Fig. 4 is a detailed elevation of the *plurality of Vseparate runway sections arranged in abut- .ting relationship. y .f i

Fig. 45 is a similar View `showing a plurality of1 sectionsv arranged in overlapping relationship.

Fig. 6 is a detailed section, similar to Fig. 3, showing a modified construction of runway' section.

Fig. '7 is an enlarged plan view of a tary portion of the silo runway.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 10 represents a silo which may be conveniently formed of concrete, brick work or similar masonry. Or, in some cases, the'silo may be formed of timbers, or it may have a steel frame work and a platelike shell construction. The silo will usually be supported on a suitable foundation such as indicated at 12. The lower part thereof may be provided with openings 14 so as to permit delivery trucks or other carriers to pass below the outlet delivery chute 16. This chute in some cases will be provided with a flexible lowering device of the known Pardee type, having a plurality of inclined runway sections pivotally secured to one another. This zigzag delivery chute indicated at 18 forms no part of the present infragmenvention and need not, therefore, be further de` scribed. k

Located within the silo there is a spiral runway indicated as a whole at 20. This is adapted to receive incoming coal or similar material from a feed chute 22 which enters approximately at a tangent through a suitable opening formed at the top of the silo.

The runway 20 is preferably made of a plurality of separate sections 24, each having a downwardly and inwardly` inclined runway portion 26, and a substantially upright portion 28. InV some cases the adjacent sections will be arranged with their edges 30 in abutting relationship as, indicate'din Fig. 4. and in other `cases these sections will be so assembled that there vwill be an overlap such as indicated at 32 in Fig. 5.

Regardless of whether the adjacent sections abut or overlap one another they will be sup ported directly and solely by fastening devices secured or anchored to the wall of thesilo. For example, in Fig. 3 each section is secured by means of an expansion bolt 34 which engages an expansible shell 36 anchored in an opening 38 formed in the concrete wall of thesilo. Where the adjacent sections of the runway overlap as indicated in Fig. 5, the bolts 34 will pierce the overlapping marginal portions of adjacent lsections andwill enter the expansible sleeve 36. This overlapping arrangement will tend to tie together the several adjacent sections. The runway sections illustrated in Figs. 1-2 and v3 inclusive, are substantially L-shaped' in cross section. This sectional contouris advantageous because the runway sections canbe formed of substantially rectangular plates bent to the shape shown and may then be bolted to the wall of the silo. The diameters of silos used for the storage of coal and like materials is usually so greatthat the portions 28 of the runway sections need not be shaped to circular form and plan because the radius of the circle of the inner Wall of the silo so closely approaches a straight line. These secf tions are shown formed to circular shape in Fig. 2, but it will be apparent as indicated in Fig. '7 that the outer edges 40 of each section may be formed in straight line and yet make a satisfactory rit with the curved inner wall 42 of the silo.

The radial dimension 44 of each of the runway sections is preferably relatively short as compared with the inside diameter of the silo so as to leave an unobstructed central well of generous diameter as indicated at 46.

Instead of forming the runway sections of substantially L-shape as illustrated in Fig. 3, in some 1700 cases I may provide runway sections such as illustrated in Fig. 6, each of which has a slightly concave surface 48 which merges into the curved substantially upright portion 50. When this type of runway section is used the same will be anchored to the wall of the silo by means of substantially the same sort of anchorage means 34 as above referred to.

The spiral runway sections herein referred to being made of sheet metal and the like, provide 1x10 a relatively smooth surface over which the coal or like material can slide freely in its descent from the upper part of the silo to the lower part when the initial lling operation takes place. As the lower part of the silo fills up, the pile will gradually mount higher and higher, thus filling up the unobstructed central well 46. This arrangement provides for relatively even distribution of such nes as are initially fe-d to the chute or produced during the lowering. The arrangement also provides for such a gentle lowering that there is 'no tendency for lumps of given size to segregateinto any one particular zone in the storage cell.

The runway construction described, is very inexpensive to manufacture, and can be supplied to the retail coal trade at a great saving of expense as compared with the loweringapparatus heretofore available, because no special supporting structure for runway sections is required in view of the fact that the latter is adapted to be secured to and supported solely by the existing silo structure.

Instead of fastening the runway sections by lmeans of extension bolts, I may employ counter- Sur-1li head bolts, which extend clear through Vthe wall of the silo and engagea nut on the exterior thereof. Y

Though I have described specifically the embodirnent of the invention herein illustrated, it

is to be, understood that various modications may be made by those skilled in the art ,without departure from the invention as defined in the appended claims.

` What I claim i`s:-

1. A silo for storage of coal or like material having a spiral runway comprising a series of separate sections havingintegral upstanding portions secured to the outer wall ofthe silo and forming the solesupporting means for the runway. i

2,. A silo having a spiralv runway for gently iowering coal or like material from the upper to the lower part thereof, said runway comprising a series of separate sections, each having an inwardly and downwardly extending runway portion and a substantially upright portion which is secured by fastening means to the inner wall surface of the silo, said fastening means piercing each of said upright portions and forming the sole support for the runway.

3. A silo having a spiral runway for gently lowering coal or like material from the upper to the lower part thereof, said runway comprising a series of separate sections, each having an inwardly and downwardly extending runway portion and a substantially upright portion, said sections having overlapping portions and securing means piercing theA overlapping portions and anchored to the outer wall of the silo and forming the sole support for the runway.

4. A silo having a spiral runway for gently lowering coal or like material from the upper to the lower part thereof, said runway comprising a series of separate sections of substantially L-shape in cross section, the upright portion of each section being bolted directly to and solely supported by the outer wall of the silo.

5,. A silo having a spiral runway for gently lowu ering coal or like material from the upper to the lower part thereof, said runway comprising a series of separate'sections, each having an inwardly and downwardly extending runway portion and Va substantially upright curved portion secured directly to and supported solely by the wall of the silo.

6. A silo of concrete or the like having a spiral runway comprising a series of runway sections, each of which is solely supported by fastening means piercing the sections anchored in the outer concrete wall of the silo.

7. A silo of concrete or the like having a spiral runwayconsisting solely of flanged runway sections, each of which is solely supported by bolts piercing the flanges thereof andengaging members embedded in the concrete wall of the silo.

FRANK PARDEE.

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